Methods for depositing, releasing and packaging micro-electromechanical devices on wafer substrates

ABSTRACT

A method for forming a MEMS device is disclosed, where a final release step is performed just prior to a wafer bonding step to protect the MEMS device from contamination, physical contact, or other deleterious external events. Without additional changes to the MEMS structure between release and wafer bonding and singulation, except for an optional stiction treatment, the MEMS device is best protected and overall process flow is improved. The method is applicable to the production of any MEMS device and is particularly beneficial in the making of fragile micromirrors.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/005,308filed Dec. 3, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,635, the subject matter beingincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A wide variety of micro-electromechanical devices (MEMS) are known,including accelerometers, DC relay and RF switches, optical crossconnects and optical switches, microlenses, reflectors and beamsplitters, filters, oscillators and antenna system components, variablecapacitors and inductors, switched banks of filters, resonantcomb-drives and resonant beams, and micromirror arrays for direct viewand projection displays. Though the processes for making the variousMEMS devices may vary, they all share the need for high throughputmanufacturing (e.g. forming multiple MEMS devices on a single substratewithout damage to the microstructures formed on the substrate).

The present invention is in the field of MEMS, and in particular in thefield of methods for making micro electromechanical devices on a wafer.The subject matter of the present invention is related to manufacturingof multiple MEMS devices on a wafer, releasing the MEMS structures byremoving a sacrificial material, bonding the wafer to another wafer,singulating the wafer assembly, and packaging each wafer assemblyportion with one or more MEMS devices thereon, without damaging the MEMSmicrostructures thereon. More particularly, the invention relates to amethod for making a MEMS device where a final release step is performedjust prior to a wafer bonding step to protect the MEMS device fromcontamination, physical contact, or other deleterious external events. Agetter or molecular scavenger can be applied to one or both of thewafers before bonding, as can a stiction reducing agent. Except forcoating of the MEMS structures to reduce stiction, it is preferred(though not required) that the MEMS structures are not alteredphysically or chemically (including depositing additional layers orcleaning) between release and wafer bonding.

As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,049 to Hornbeck, silicon wafers areprocessed to form an array of deflectable beams, then the wafers arediced into chips, followed by further processing of the individualchips. This process has disadvantages, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,445,559 to Gale et al. Once the mirror is formed by etching thesacrificial material to form an air gap between the deflectable beam anda lower electrode, the device is very fragile. The device cannot beexposed to liquids during wafer cleanup steps, without destroying themirror. “Therefore, the devices must be cut and the dicing debris washedaway before etching the sacrificial layer away from the mirror. Thisrequires that the cleaning and etching steps, and any following steps,including testing be performed on the individual chips instead of awafer.” To address this problem, Gale et al. propose using a vacuumfixture with a plurality of headspaces above the mirrors to preventcontact with the mirrors. The headspaces are evacuated through vacuumports and the backside of the wafer is ground down to partially sawnkerfs in order to separate the devices. Then the separated devices andthe vacuum fixture are washed to remove any debris from the separationoperation. The devices with mirrors exposed are finally ready forpackaging.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,744 to Mignardi et al., it is likewise desired toavoid damaging the mirror elements when cutting the wafer intoindividual dies. In Mignardi et al., a partial saw or scribe isperformed on the wafer after optionally putting a removable protectivecoating over the entire wafer to further limit debris from the partialsaw or scribe from settling on the mirrors. Then, the protective coatingif used and the debris from the partial saw is removed in a post-sawcleaning. Typically the sacrificial layer is then removed, andadditional processes may also take place to cover or protect varioussurfaces of the device that were not exposed previous to removing thesacrificial layer. Last, in order to separate the wafer into individualdevices, tape is aligned and applied to the wafer, covering thepartially sawed areas. The wafer is broken and the tape is treated withUV light to weaken it and then is peeled away. The individual deviceswith exposed mirrors must then be carefully picked and placed off of thesaw frame and packaged.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,046 to Kaeriyama et al., discloses partiallyfabricating a micromirror structure on a semiconductor wafer, followedby coating the wafer with a protective layer. Then, streets are sawed inthe wafer (defining the individual dies), which is followed by cleaningthe wafer with a solution of an alkyl glycol and HF. Further processingincludes acoustically vibrating the wafer in deionized water. Finallythe mirrors are released and the wafer broken along the streets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

What is needed in the field of MEMS and MEMS manufacturing is an easierand less expensive way to assemble and ultimately package a mirror arraythat avoids the problems of the prior art. In the present invention, amethod is provided where the mirror elements on the wafer are released(the sacrificial layer is removed) followed by bonding the wafer toanother wafer, which is in turn followed by scribing, scoring, cutting,grinding or otherwise separating the wafer into individual dies. Byhaving the mirror elements encased between two wafers prior to anyscoring, cutting, etc., the time that the mirrors are exposed isminimized, and there is no need to provide additional protectivemeasures as in the prior art.

A method is thus provided for forming a MEMS device, comprisingproviding a first wafer, providing a second wafer, forming a sacrificiallayer on the first or second wafer, forming a plurality of MEMS elementson the sacrificial layer, releasing the plurality of MEMS devices byetching away the sacrificial layer, mixing one or more spacer elementsinto an adhesive or providing one or more spacer elements separatelyfrom the adhesive for separating the wafers during and after bonding,applying the adhesive to one or both of the first and second wafers,bonding the first and second wafers together with the spacer elementstherebetween so that the first and second wafers are held together in aspaced apart relationship as a wafer assembly, singulating the waferassembly into individual dies, and packaging each die.

In another embodiment of the invention, a method for making a spatiallight modulator comprises providing a first wafer; providing a secondwafer; forming circuitry and a plurality of electrodes on or in thefirst wafer; forming a plurality of deflectable elements on or in eitherthe first or second wafer; bonding the first and second wafers togetherto form a wafer assembly; and separating the wafer assembly intoindividual wafer assembly dies.

In another embodiment of the invention a method for forming a MEMSdevice, comprises: providing a first wafer; providing a second wafer;providing a sacrificial layer on or in the first or second wafer;forming a plurality of MEMS elements on the sacrificial layer; releasingthe plurality of MEMS devices by etching away the sacrificial layer;mixing one or more spacer elements into an adhesive or providing one ormore spacer elements separately from the adhesive for separating thewafers during and after bonding; applying the adhesive to one or both ofthe first and second wafers; bonding the first and second waferstogether with the spacer elements therebetween so that the first andsecond wafers are held together in a spaced apart relationship as awafer assembly; and singulating the wafer assembly into individual dies.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a method for making a MEMSdevice, comprising: providing a first wafer; providing a second wafer;forming circuitry and a plurality of electrodes on or in the firstwafer; forming a plurality of deflectable elements on or in either thefirst or second wafer; applying an adhesion reducing agent and/or agetter to one or both of the wafers; aligning the first and secondwafers; bonding the first and second wafers together to form a waferassembly; and separating the wafer assembly into individual waferassembly dies.

In a still further embodiment of the invention, a method for making aMEMS device, comprising: providing a wafer; providing a plurality ofsubstrates that are transmissive to visible light, each smaller thansaid wafer, each substrate having a frame portion that is nottransmissive to visible light; forming circuitry and a plurality ofelectrodes on or in the wafer; forming a plurality of deflectableelements on or in the wafer; aligning the substrates with the wafer;bonding the substrates and wafer together to form a wafer assembly; andseparating the wafer assembly into individual wafer assembly dies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A to 1E are cross sectional views illustrating one method forforming micromirrors;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a micromirror showing line 1-1 for taking thecross section for FIGS. 1A to 1E;

FIGS. 3A to 3E are cross sectional views illustrating the same method asin FIGS. 1A to 1E but taken along a different cross section;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a mirror showing line 3-3 for taking the crosssection for FIGS. 3A to 3E;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the assembly of two substrates, one withmicromirrors, the other with circuitry and electrodes;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the assembled device in use;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of one method of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a top view of a wafer substrate having multiple die areas;

FIGS. 9A to 9E are step-by-step views of the assembly of the device;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are top views of two wafers that will be joinedtogether and then singulated;

FIGS. 10C and 10D are views of light transmissive substrates (FIG. 10A)for bonding to a wafer (10D);

FIG. 11A is a cross sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 10upon alignment of the two wafers of FIGS. 10A and 10B, but prior tobonding, whereas FIG. 11B is the same cross sectional view after bondingof the two wafers, but prior to singulation; and

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a singulated wafer assembly die held ona package substrate.

FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 present diffraction patterns of the micromirrors.

FIG. 16 schematically illustrates an exemplary display system of theinvention.

FIG. 17 schematically illustrates that the light has an incident angleto the edges of the mirror plates.

FIG. 18 to FIG. 29 schematically illustrate top views of exemplaryarrays of micromirrors of the invention.

FIG. 30A to FIG. 30F schematically illustrate arrangement of themicromirrors in a micromirror array; and.

FIG. 31 is a plan view of an exemplary mirror plate of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Mirror Fabrication:

Processes for microfabricating a MEMS device such as a movablemicromirror and mirror array are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,835,256and 6,046,840 both to Huibers, the subject matter of each beingincorporated herein by reference. A similar process for forming MEMSmovable elements (e.g. mirrors) on a wafer substrate (e.g. a lighttransmissive substrate or a substrate comprising CMOS or othercircuitry) is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4. By “light transmissive”, itis meant that the material will be transmissive to light at least inoperation of the device (The material could temporarily have a lightblocking layer on it to improve the ability to handle the substrateduring manufacture, or a partial light blocking layer for decreasinglight scatter during use. Regardless, a portion of the substrate, forvisible light applications, is preferably transmissive to visible lightduring use so that light can pass into the device, be reflected by themirrors, and pass back out of the device. Of course, not all embodimentswill use a light transmissive substrate). By “wafer” it is meant anysubstrate on which multiple microstructures or microstructure arrays areto be formed and which allows for being divided into dies, each diehaving one or more microstructures thereon. Though not in everysituation, often each die is one device or product to be packaged andsold separately. Forming multiple “products” or dies on a largersubstrate or wafer allows for lower and faster manufacturing costs ascompared to forming each die separately. Of course the wafers can be anysize or shape, though it is preferred that the wafers be theconventional round or substantially round wafers (e.g. 4″, 6″ or 12″ indiameter) so as to allow for manufacture in a standard foundry.

FIGS. 1A to 1E show a manufacturing process for a micromechanical mirrorstructure. As can be seen in FIG. 1A, a substrate such as glass (e.g.1737F), quartz, Pyrex™, sapphire, (or silicon alone or with circuitrythereon) etc. is provided. The cross section of FIGS. 1A-E is takenalong line 1-1 of FIG. 2. Because this cross section is taken along thehinge of the movable element, an optional block layer 12 can be providedto block light (incident through the light transmissive substrate duringuse) from reflecting off of the hinge and potentially causingdiffraction and lowering the contrast ratio (if the substrate istransparent).

As can be seen in FIG. 1B, a sacrificial layer 14, such as amorphoussilicon, is deposited. The thickness of the sacrificial layer can bewide ranging depending upon the movable element/mirror size and desiredtilt angle, though a thickness of from 500 Å to 50,000 Å, preferablyaround 5000 Å is preferred. Alternatively the sacrificial layer could bea polymer or polyimide (or even polysilicon, silicon nitride, silicondioxide, etc. depending upon the materials selected to be resistant tothe etchant, and the etchant selected). A lithography step followed by asacrificial layer etch forms holes 16 a,b in the sacrificial silicon,which can be any suitable size, though preferably having a diameter offrom 0.1 to 1.5 um, more preferably around 0.7+/−0.25 um. The etching isperformed down to the glass/quartz substrate or down to the block layerif present. Preferably if the glass/quartz layer is etched, it is in anamount less than 2000 Å.

At this point, as can be seen in FIG. 1C, a first layer 18 is depositedby chemical vapor deposition. Preferably the material is silicon nitrideor silicon oxide deposited by LPCVD or PECVD, however polysilicon,silicon carbide or an organic compound could be deposited at thispoint—or Al, CoSiNx, TiSiNx, TaSiNx and other ternary and highercompounds as set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/910,537filed Jul. 20, 2001, and 60/300,533 filed Jun. 22, 2001 both to Reid andincorporated herein by reference (of course the sacrificial layer andetchant should be adapted to the material used). The thickness of thisfirst layer can vary depending upon the movable element size and desiredamount of stiffness of the element, however in one embodiment the layerhas a thickness of from 100 to 3200 Å, more preferably around 1100 Å.The first layer undergoes lithography and etching so as to form gapsbetween adjacent movable elements on the order of from 0.1 to 25 um,preferably around 1 to 2 um.

A second layer 20 (the “hinge” layer) is deposited as can be seen inFIG. 1D. By “hinge layer” it is meant the layer that defines thatportion of the device that flexes to allow movement of the device. Thehinge layer can be disposed only for defining the hinge, or for definingthe hinge and other areas such as the mirror. In any case, thereinforcing material is removed prior to depositing the hinge material.The material for the second (hinge) layer can be the same (e.g. siliconnitride) as the first layer or different (silicon oxide, siliconcarbide, polysilicon, or Al, CoSiNx, TiSiNx, TaSiNx or other ternary andhigher compounds) and can be deposited by chemical vapor deposition asfor the first layer. The thickness of the second/hinge layer can begreater or less than the first, depending upon the stiffness of themovable element, the flexibility of the hinge desired, the materialused, etc. In one embodiment the second layer has a thickness of from 50Å to 2100 Å, and preferably around 500 Å. In another embodiment, thefirst layer is deposited by PECVD and the second layer by LPCVD.

As also seen in FIG. 1D, a reflective and conductive layer 22 isdeposited. The reflective/conductive material can be gold, aluminum orother metal, or an alloy of more than one metal though it is preferablyaluminum deposited by PVD. The thickness of the metal layer can be from50 to 2000 Å, preferably around 500 Å. It is also possible to depositseparate reflective and conductive layers. An optional metal passivationlayer (not shown) can be added, e.g. a 10 to 1100 Å silicon oxide layerdeposited by PECVD. Then, photoresist patterning on the metal layer isfollowed by etching through the metal layer with a suitable metaletchant. In the case of an aluminum layer, a chlorine (or bromine)chemistry can be used (e.g. a plasma/RIE etch with Cl₂ and/or BCl₃ (orCl2, CCl4, Br2, CBr₄, etc.) with an optional preferably inert diluentsuch as Ar and/or He). Then, the sacrificial layer is removed in orderto “release” the MEMS structures (FIG. 1E).

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1E, both the first andsecond layers are deposited in the area defining the movable (mirror)element, whereas the second layer, in the absence of the first layer, isdeposited in the area of the hinge. It is also possible to use more thantwo layers to produce a laminate movable element, which can be desirableparticularly when the size of the movable element is increased such asfor switching light beams in an optical switch. A plurality of layerscould be provided in place of single layer 18 in FIG. 1C, and aplurality of layers could be provided in place of layer 20 and in placeof layer 22. Or, layers 20 and 22 could be a single layer, e.g. a puremetal layer or a metal alloy layer or a layer that is a mixture of e.g.a dielectric or semiconductor and a metal. Some materials for such layeror layers that could comprise alloys of metals and dielectrics orcompounds of metals and nitrogen, oxygen or carbon (particularly thetransition metals) are disclosed in U.S. provisional patent application60/228,007, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein byreference.

In one embodiment, the reinforcing layer is removed in the area of thehinge, followed by depositing the hinge layer and patterning bothreinforcing and hinge layer together. This joint patterning of thereinforcing layer and hinge layer can be done with the same etchant(e.g. if the two layers are of the same material) or consecutively withdifferent etchants. The reinforcing and hinge layers can be etched witha chlorine chemistry or a fluorine (or other halide) chemistry (e.g. aplasma/RIE etch with F₂, CF₄, CHF₃, C₃F₈, CH₂F₂, C₂F₆, SF₆, etc. or morelikely combinations of the above or with additional gases, such asCF₄/H₂, SF₆/Cl₂, or gases using more than one etching species such asCF₂Cl₂, all possibly with one or more optional inert diluents). Ofcourse, if different materials are used for the reinforcing layer andthe hinge layer, then a different etchant can be employed for etchingeach layer. Alternatively, the reflective layer can be deposited beforethe first (reinforcing) and/or second (hinge) layer. Whether depositedprior to the hinge material or prior to both the hinge material and thereinforcing material, it is preferable that the metal be patterned (e.g.removed in the hinge area) prior to depositing and patterning the hingematerial.

FIGS. 3A to 3E illustrate the same process taken along a different crosssection (cross section 3-3 in FIG. 4) and show the optional block layer12 deposited on the light transmissive substrate 10, followed by thesacrificial layer 14, layers 18, 20 and the metal layer 22. The crosssections in FIGS. 1A to 1E and 3A to 3E are taken along substantiallysquare mirrors in FIGS. 2 and 4 respectively. However, the mirrors neednot be square but can have other shapes that may decrease diffractionand increase the contrast ratio. Such mirrors are disclosed in U.S.provisional patent application 60/229,246 to Ilkov et al., the subjectmatter of which is incorporated herein by reference. Also, the mirrorhinges can be torsion hinges as illustrated in this provisionalapplication.

As can be seen in FIG. 13, a diffraction pattern in the shape of a “t”intersects the acceptance cone (the circle in the figure). Thediffraction pattern can be seen in this figure as a series of dark dots(with a corresponding white background) that form one vertical and onehorizontal line, and which connect just below the acceptance cone circleadded onto the diffraction pattern. Therefore, as can be seen in thisfigure, the vertical diffraction line will enter the acceptance cone ofthe projection optics when the mirror is in the off-state, thus harmingthe contrast ratio. Likewise in FIG. 14, a series of four whitediffraction lines (one vertical, one horizontal, and two diagonal)intersect below the acceptance cone of the system optics. As in FIG. 13,one of the diffraction lines intersects the acceptance cone such thatdiffracted light will be viewed when the mirror is in the off-state.

In contrast, as can be seen in FIG. 15, the diffraction pattern of thepresent invention (mirror in off-state) does not have a diffraction lineextending though the optics acceptance cone, or otherwise to the spatialregion where light is directed when the mirror is in the on-state. Thussubstantially no diffracted or scattered light is passed to the areawhere light is passed when the mirror is in the on-state. Such adiffraction pattern, with light orthogonal to the edges of the activearea of the array (and/or orthogonal to the columns or rows) is new. Thearrangement of light source and incoming light beam to the array, and toeach mirror, which allows for such improved contrast ratio, can be seenin FIGS. 16 and 17. As can be seen in FIG. 16, a light source 114directs a beam of light 116 at a 90 degree angle to the leading edge 122of the active area of the array (the active area of the arrayillustrated as rectangle 120 in the figure. The active area correspondsto the directly viewed or projected square or rectangular screen (notshown), which is the result of light reflecting oft of particularmirrors in the array, and passing through optics 115 (simplified as twolenses for clarity). Mirrors in their off-state, direct light to area 99in FIG. 16. Thus, whether the viewed image is on a computer, televisionor movie screen, the pixels on the screen image (each pixel on theviewed or projected image corresponding to a mirror element in thearray) have edges which are not parallel to at least two of the foursides defining the rectangular or square screen image. As can be seen inone example of a mirror element in FIG. 17, the incoming light beam hitsno perpendicular edges of the mirror element. The incoming light beam,may be 20 degrees from normal (to the mirror/array plane), thoughregardless of the angle of the incoming light beam from normal, nomirror edges will be perpendicular.

One example of a mirror element of the present invention is illustratedin FIG. 17. As can be seen in this figure, the incoming light beam doesnot impinge orthogonally onto any edge of the mirror element. In fact,in a preferred embodiment, the mirror edges should be disposed at a 55degree angle or less in relation to the incoming light beam, preferably45 degrees or less, and most preferably 40 degrees or less. Though themirror edges are not perpendicular to the incoming light beam, theswitching axis of each mirror is perpendicular to the incoming lightbeam (and thus perpendicular to two of the four active area (or screenimage) edges).

FIG. 18 is an illustration of an array (of course with many fewer pixelsthan within the typical active area). As can be seen in this figure, theedges of each pixel are parallel to corresponding edges of the activearea. Thus, each mirror edge is either perpendicular or horizontal tothe edges of the active area. In contrast, in the present invention suchas illustrated in FIG. 19, the mirror edges are neither parallel norperpendicular to the active area edges. As will be seen below, in otherembodiments, some of the edges are neither parallel nor perpendicular toactive area edges, and some edges can be parallel to active area edges(as long as also parallel to the direction of the incoming light beam).Though the mirror array as illustrated in FIG. 19 achieves lower lightscatter/diffraction in the mirror off-state, such an arrangement canincrease the complexity of the addressing scheme. Horizontal line 128connects the top row of mirror elements, and vertical lines 124A-124Dextend from each of these top row mirrors (these horizontal and verticallines corresponding to addressing rows and colunms in the array). As canbe seen in FIG. 20, only every other mirror is connected in this way.Thus, in order for all mirrors to be addressed, twice as many rows andcolumns are needed, thus resulting in added complexity in addressing thearray. FIG. 20 also shows support posts 126 at the corners of themirrors, which support posts connect to hinges (not shown) below eachmirror element and to an optically transmissive substrate (not shown)above the mirror elements (see the '840 patent for further details).

In a more preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 21, anarray 130, having active area edges 132A-132D, is provided. A light beam136 is directed at the array such that no mirror edges are perpendicularto the direction of the incoming light beam. In FIG. 21, the leadingedges of the mirrors (relative to incoming light beam 136) are at a 45degree angle to light beam 136. It is preferred that the angle of theleading edge(s) of the mirror be more than 40 degrees from a mirror edgethat would be perpendicular to the incoming light beam. The contrastratio is further improved if the angle of the leading edge is 45 degreesor more, and can even be 50 degrees or more. As can be seen in FIG. 21,the mirror elements are densely packed (“interlocking”) and do notresult in addressing issues as discussed above. Posts 134 connect tohinges (not shown) below each mirror element in FIG. 21. The hingesextend perpendicularly to the direction of the incoming light beam (andparallel to the leading and trailing edges 132A and 132D of the activeareas). The hinges allow for an axis of rotation of the mirrors which isperpendicular to the incoming light beam.

FIG. 22 is an illustration of mirrors similar to that shown in FIG. 21.In FIG. 22, however, the mirror elements are “reversed” and have their“concave” portion as their leading edge. Even though the mirrors in FIG.22 are reversed from that shown in FIG. 21, there are still no edges ofthe mirrors which are perpendicular to the incoming light beam. FIG. 22illustrates a hinge 138 disposed in the same plane as the minor elementto which the hinge is attached. Both types of hinges are disclosed inthe '840 patent mentioned above. FIG. 23 likewise illustrates a hinge144 in the same plane as the mirror array, and shows both “concave”portions 140 and “convex” portions 142 on the leading edge of eachmirror.

FIGS. 23 to 29 illustrate further embodiments of the invention. Thoughthe shapes of the mirrors are different in each figure, each is the samein the sense that none has any edges perpendicular to the incoming lightbeam. Of course, when a mirror edge changes direction, there is aspoint, however small, where the edge could be considered perpendicular,if only instantaneously. However, when it is stated that there are noedges perpendicular, it is meant that there are no substantial portionswhich are perpendicular, or at least no such portions on the leadingedge of the mirrors. Even if the direction of the leading edges changedgradually, it is preferred that there would never be more than ½ of theleading edge that is perpendicular to the incoming light beam, morepreferably no more than ¼, and most preferably 1/10 or less. The lowerthe portion of the leading edge that is perpendicular, the greater theimprovement in contrast ratio.

Many of the mirror embodiments can be viewed as one or moreparallelograms connected together. As can be seen in FIG. 30 a, a singleparallelogram is effective for decreasing light scatter (or diffraction)as it has not edges perpendicular to the incoming light beam (assumingthat the light beam has a direction from the bottom to the top of thepage of FIG. 30 a (and starting from out of the plane of the page). FIG.30 a illustrates a single parallelogram with width d. FIGS. 30 b and 30c show both two and three parallelogram mirror designs, where eachsubsequent parallelogram has the same shape, size and appearance as theone before. This arrangement forms a saw-tooth leading and trailing edgeof the mirror element. FIGS. 30 d to 30 f illustrate from 2 to 4parallelograms. However, in FIGS. 30 d to 30 f, each subsequentparallelogram is a mirror image of the one before, rather than the sameimage. This arrangement forms a jagged edge on the leading and trailingedges of the mirror elements. Though the trailing edge need not be“jagged” or “saw-tooth” (it could, in fact, be perpendicular to theincoming light beam, however this would result in a lower fill factorfor the array).

It should be noted that the parallelograms need not each be of the samewidth, and a line connecting the tips of the saw-tooth or jagged edgesneed not be perpendicular to the incoming light beam. The width of eachparallelogram, if they are constructed to be of the same width, will bed=M/N, where M is total mirror width, N is the number of parallelograms.With an increasing number of parallelograms, the width d is decreasing(assuming constant mirror width). However, width d should be much largerthan the wavelength of the incident light. In order to keep the contrastratio high, the number of parallelograms N (or the number of times theleading mirror edge changes direction) should be less than or equal to0.5 M/λ, or preferably less than or equal to 0.2 M/λ, and even less thanor equal to 0.1 M/λ, where λ is the wavelength of the incident lightThough the number of parallelograms are anywhere from 1 to 4 in FIG. 30a to FIG. 30 f any number are possible, though 15 or fewer, andpreferably 10 or fewer result in better contrast ratio. The number inFIG. 30 a to FIG. 30 f is most preferred (4 or fewer). As can be seen inFIG. 31, hinges (or flexures) 154, 156 are disposed in the same plane asmirror element 146. Incident light beam 152 from a light source out ofthe plane of FIG. 31, impinges on leading edges of mirror 146, none ofwhich are perpendicular. It is preferred that no portion of the hingesbe perpendicular to the incoming light beam, so as to decrease lightscatter.

It should also be noted that materials and method mentioned above areexamples only, as many other method and materials could be used. Forexample, the Sandia SUMMiT process (using polysilicon for structurallayers) or the Cronos MUMPS process (also polysilicon for structurallayers) could be used in the present invention. Also, a MOSIS process(AMI ABN—1.5 um CMOS process) could be adapted for the presentinvention, as could a MUSiC process (using polycrystalline SiC for thestructural layers) as disclosed, for example, in Mehregany et al., ThinSolid Films, v. 355-356, pp. 518-524, 1999. Also, the sacrificial layerand etchant disclosed herein are exemplary only. For example, a silicondioxide sacrificial layer could be used and removed with HF (or HF/HCl),or a silicon sacrificial could be removed with ClF3 or BrF3. Also a PSGsacrificial layer could be removed with buffered HF, or an organicsacrificial such as polyimide could be removed in a dry plasma oxygenrelease step. Of course the etchant and sacrificial material should beselected depending upon the structural material to be used. Also, thoughPVD and CVD are referred to above, other thin film deposition methodscould be used for depositing the layers, including spin-on, sputtering,anodization, oxidation, electroplating and evaporation.

After forming the microstructures as in FIGS. 1 to 4 on the first wafer,it is preferably to remove the sacrificial layer so as to release themicrostructures (in this case micromirrors). This release can beperformed at the die level, though it is preferred to perform therelease at the wafer level. FIGS. 1E and 3E show the microstructures intheir released state. As can be seen in FIG. 1E, posts 2 hold thereleased microstructure on substrate 10.

Also, though the hinge of each mirror can be formed in the same plane asthe mirror element (and/or formed as part of the same deposition step)as set forth above, they can also be formed separated from and parallelto the mirror element in a different plane and as part of a separateprocessing step. This superimposed type of hinge is disclosed in FIGS.11 and 12 of the previously-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,840, and inmore detail in U.S. patent application “A Deflectable Spatial LightModulator Having Superimposed Hinge and Deflectable Element” to Huiberset al. filed Aug. 3, 2000, the subject matter of which beingincorporated herein. Whether formed with one sacrificial layer as in theFigures, or two (or more) sacrificial layers as for the superimposedhinge, such sacrificial layers are removed as will be discussed below,with a preferably isotropic etchant. This “release” of the mirrors canbe performed immediately following the above described steps, or aftershipment from the foundry at the place of assembly.

Backplane:

The second or “lower” substrate (the backplane) die contains a largearray of electrodes on a top metal layer of the die. Each electrodeelectrostatically controls one pixel (one micromirror on the upperoptically transmissive substrate) of the microdisplay. The voltage oneach electrode on the surface of the backplane determines whether itscorresponding microdisplay pixel is optically ‘on’ or ‘off,’ forming avisible image on the microdisplay. Details of the backplane and methodsfor producing a pulse-width-modulated grayscale or color image aredisclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/564,069 to Richards,the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The display pixels themselves, in a preferred embodiment, are binary,always either fully ‘on’ or fully ‘off,’ and so the backplane design ispurely digital. Though the micromirrors could be operated in analogmode, no analog capability is necessary. For ease of system design, thebackplane's I/O and control logic preferably run at a voltage compatiblewith standard logic levels, e.g. 5V or 3.3V. To maximize the voltageavailable to drive the pixels, the backplane's array circuitry may runfrom a separate supply, preferably at a higher voltage.

One embodiment of the backplane can be fabricated in a foundry 5V logicprocess. The mirror electrodes can run at 0-5V or as high above 5V asreliability allows. The backplane could also be fabricated in ahigher-voltage process such as a foundry Flash memory process using thatprocess's high-voltage devices. The backplane could also be constructedin a high-voltage process with larger-geometry transistors capable ofoperating at 12V or more. A higher voltage backplane can produce anelectrode voltage swing significantly higher than the 5-7V that thelower voltage backplane provides, and thus actuate the pixels morerobustly.

In digital mode, it is possible to set each electrode to either state(on/off), and have that state persist until the state of the electrodeis written again. A RAM-like structure, with one bit per pixel is onearchitecture that accomplishes this. One example is an SRAM-based pixelcell. Alternate well-known storage elements such as latches or DRAM(pass transistor plus capacitor) are also possible. If a dynamic storageelement (e.g. a DRAM-like cell) is used, it is desirable that it beshielded from incident light that might otherwise cause leakage.

The perception of a grayscale or full-color image will be produced bymodulating pixels rapidly on and off, for example according to themethod in the above-mentioned U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/564,069 to Richards. In order to support this, it is preferable thatthe backplane allows the array to be written in random-access fashion,though finer granularity than a row-at-a-time is generally notnecessary.

it is desirable to minimize power consumption, primarily for thermalreasons. Decreasing electrical power dissipation will increase theoptical/thermal power budget, allowing the microdisplay to tolerate theheat of more powerful lamps. Also, depending upon the way themicrodisplay is assembled (wafer-to-wafer join+offset saw), it may bepreferable for all I/O pads to be on one side of the die. To minimizethe cost of the finished device it is desirable to minimize pin count.For example, multiplexing row address or other infrequently-used controlsignals onto the data bus can eliminate separate pins for thesefunctions with a negligible throughput penalty (a few percent, e.g. oneclock cycle for address information per row of data is acceptable). Adata bus, a clock, and a small number of control signals (5 or less) areall that is necessary.

In use, the die can be illuminated with a 200 W or more arc lamp. Thethermal and photo-carrier effects of this may result in special layoutefforts to make the metal layers as ‘opaque’ as possible over the activecircuitry to reflect incident optical energy and minimize photocarrierand thermal effects. An on-chip PN diode could be included for measuringthe temperature of the die.

In one embodiment the resolution is XGA, 1024×768 pixels, though otherresolutions are possible. A pixel pitch of from 5 to 24 um is preferred(e.g. 14 um). The size of the electrode array itself is determined bythe pixel pitch and resolution. A 14 um XGA device's pixel array willtherefore be 14.336×10.752 mm.

Assembly:

After the upper and lower substrates (wafers) are finished beingprocessed (e.g. circuitry/electrodes on lower wafer, micromirrors onupper wafer), the upper and lower wafers are joined together. Thisjoining of the two substrates allows micromirrors on one substrate to bepositioned proximate to electrodes on the other substrate. Thisarrangement is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, which figures will bedescribed further below.

The method for the assembly of the wafers and separation of the waferassembly into individual dies and is similar in some ways to the methodfor assembly of a liquid crystal device as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,963,289 to Stefanov et al, “Asymmetrical Scribe and Separation Methodof Manufacturing Liquid Crystal Devices on Silicon Wafers”, which ishereby incorporated by reference. Many bonding methods are possible suchas adhesive bonding (e.g. epoxy, silicone, low K material or otheradhesive—described further herein), anodic bonding, compression bonding(e.g. with gold or indium) metal eutectic bonding, solder bonding,fusion bonding, or other wafer bonding processes known in the art.Whether the upper and lower wafer are made of the same or differentmaterials (silicon, glass, dielectric, multilayer wafer, etc.), they canfirst be inspected (step 30 in the flow chart of FIG. 7) for visualdefects, scratches, particles, etc. After inspection, the wafers can beprocessed through industry standard cleaning processes (step 32). Theseinclude scrubbing, brushing or ultrasonic cleaning in a solvent,surfactant solution, and/or de-ionized (DI) water.

The mirrors are preferably released at this point (step 34). Releasingimmediately prior to the application of epoxy or bonding is preferable(except for an optional stiction treatment between release and bonding).For silicon sacrificial layers, the release can be in an atmosphere ofxenon difluoride and an optional diluent (e.g. nitrogen and/or helium).Of course, other etchants could be used, including interhalogens such asbromine trifluoride and bromine trichloride. The release is preferably aspontaneous chemical etch which does not require plasma or otherexternal energy to etch the silicon sacrificial layer(s). After etching,the remainder of the device is treated for stiction (step 36) byapplying an anti-stiction layer (e.g. a self assembled monolayer). Thelayer is preferably formed by placing the device in a liquid or gassilane, preferably a halosilane, and most preferably a chlorosilane. Ofcourse, many different silanes are known in the art for their ability toprovide anti-stiction for MEMS structures, including the varioustrichlorsilanes set forth in “Self Assembled Monolayers as Anti-StictionCoatings for MEMS: Characteristics and Recent Developments”, Maboudianet al., as well as other unfluorinated (or partially or fullyfluorinated) alkyl trichlorosilanes, preferably those with a carbonchain of at least 10 carbons, and preferably partially or fullyfluorinated. (Tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydro-octyl)trichlorosilaneavailable from Gelest, Inc. is one example. Other trichlorosilanes(preferably fluorinated) such as those with phenyl or other organicgroups having a ring structure are also possible. Various vapor phaselubricants for use in the present invention are set forth in U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,004,912, 6,251,842, and 5,822,170, each incorporated herein byreference.

In order to bond the two wafers together, spacers are mixed into sealantmaterial (step 38). Spacers in the form of spheres or rods are typicallydispensed and dispersed between the wafers to provide cell gap controland uniformity and space for mirror deflection. Spacers can be dispensedin the gasket area of the display and therefore mixed into the gasketseal material prior to seal dispensing. This is achieved through normalagitated mixing processes. The final target for the gap between theupper and lower wafers is preferably from 1 to 10 um, though other gapsare possible depending upon the MEMS device being formed. This of coursedepends upon the type of MEMS structure being encapsulated and whetherit was surface or bulk micromachined. The spheres or rods can be made ofglass or plastic, preferably an elastically deforming material.Alternatively, spacer pillars can be fabricated on at least one of thesubstrates. In one embodiment, pillars/spacers are provided only at theside of the array. In another embodiment, pillars/spacers can befabricated in the array itself. Other bonding agents with or withoutspacers could be used, including anodic bonding or metal compressionbonding with a patterned eutectic or metal.

A gasket seal material can then be dispensed (step 40) on the bottomsubstrate in a desired pattern, usually in one of two industry standardmethods including automated controlled liquid dispensing through asyringe and printing (screen, offset, or roller). When using a syringe,it is moved along X-Y coordinates relative to the parts. The syringe tipis constrained to be just above the part with the gasket material forcedthrough the needle by positive pressure. Positive pressure is providedeither by a mechanical plunger forced by a gear driven configurationand/or by an air piston and/or pressed through the use of an auger. Thisdispensing method provides the highest resolution and process controlbut provides less throughput.

Then, the two wafers are aligned (step 42). Alignment of the opposingelectrodes or active viewing areas requires registration of substratefiducials on opposite substrates. This task is usually accomplished withthe aid of video cameras with lens magnification. The machines range incomplexity from manual to fully automated with pattern recognitioncapability. Whatever the level of sophistication, they accomplish thefollowing process: 1. Dispense a very small amount of a UV curableadhesive at locations near the perimeter and off of all functionaldevices in the array; 2. Align the fiducials of the opposing substrateswithin the equipment capability; and 3. Press substrates and UV tack forfixing the wafer to wafer alignment through the remaining bondingprocess (e.g., curing of the internal epoxy).

The final cell gap can be set by pressing (step 44) the previouslytacked laminates in a UV or thermal press. In a UV press, a commonprocedure would have the substrates loaded into a press where at leastone or both of the press platens are quartz, in order to allow UVradiation from a UV lamp to pass unabated to the gasket seal epoxy.Exposure time and flux rates are process parameters determined by theequipment and adhesive materials. Thermally cured epoxies require thatthe top and bottom platens of a thermal press be heated. The force thatcan be generated between the press platens is typically many pounds.With thermally cured epoxies, after the initial press the arrays aretypically transferred to a stacked press fixture where they can continueto be pressed and post-cured for 4-8 hours.

Once the wafers have been bonded together to form a wafer assembly, theassembly can be separated into individual dies (step 46). Siliconsubstrate and glass scribes are placed on the respective substrates inan offset relationship at least along one direction. The units are thenseparated, resulting in each unit having a bond pad ledge on one sideand a glass electrical contact ledge on an opposite side. The parts maybe separated from the array by any of the following methods. The orderin which the array (glass first) substrate is scribed is important whenconventional solid state cameras are used for viewing and alignment in ascribe machine. This constraint exists unless special infrared viewingcameras are installed which make the silicon transparent and thereforepermits viewing of front surface metal fiducials. The scribe tool isaligned with the scribe fiducials and processed. The resultant scribelines in the glass are used as reference marks to align the siliconsubstrate scribe lanes. These scribe lanes may be coincident with theglass substrate scribes or uniformly offset. The parts are thenseparated from the array by venting the scribes on both substrates.Automatic breaking is done by commercially available guillotine orfulcrum breaking machines. The parts can also be separated by hand.

Separation may also be done by glass scribing and partial sawing of thesilicon substrate. Sawing requires an additional step at gasketdispense. Sawing is done in the presence of a high-pressure jet ofwater. Moisture must not be allowed in the area of the fill port ordamage of the MEMS structures could occur. Therefore, at gasketdispense, an additional gasket bead must be dispensed around theperimeter of the wafer. The end of each scribe/saw lane must beinitially left open, to let air vent during the align and pressprocesses. After the array has been pressed and the gasket materialcured, the vents are then closed using either the gasket or end-sealmaterial. The glass is then aligned and scribed as described above.Sawing of the wafer is done from the backside of the silicon where thesaw streets, such as saw streets 72 a and 72 b in FIG. 11B, are alignedrelative to the glass scribe lanes described above. The wafer is thensawed to a depth of 50%-90% of its thickness. The parts are thenseparated as described above.

Alternatively, both the glass and silicon substrates may be partiallysawed prior to part separation. With the same gasket seal configuration,vent and seal processes as described above, saw lanes are aligned tofiducials on the glass substrates. The glass is sawed to a depth between50% and 95% of its thickness. The silicon substrate is sawed and theparts separated as described above.

For an illustrated example of the above, reference is made to FIG. 8where 45 die areas have been formed on wafer 5. Each die area 3 (havinga length A and a height B) comprises one or more (preferably released)microstructures. In the case of micromirror arrays for projectionsystems, each die preferably has at least 1000 movable mirrors, and morelikely between 1 and 6 million movable elements. Of course, if themicrostructure is a DC relay or RF MEMS switch (or even mirrors for anoptical switch) there will likely be far fewer than millions ofmicrostructures, more likely less than 100 or even less than 10 (or evena single structure). Of course if there are only a few microstructuresin each die area, then the die areas themselves can be made smaller inmost cases. Also, the die areas need not be rectangular, though thisshape aids in epoxy deposition and singulation.

As can be seen in FIG. 9A, four die areas 3 a to 3 d are formed on wafer5 (many more dies would be formed in most circumstances, though onlyfour are shown for ease of illustration). Each die area 3 a to 3 dcomprises one or more microstructures which have already been releasedin a suitable etchant. As illustrated in FIG. 9B, epoxy can be appliedin the form of beads 31 a to 31 d along each side of the die area, or asbeads 32 a to 32 d at each corner of the die area. Or, epoxy ribbons 33a and 33 b could be applied along two sides of each die, or a singleribbon 34 could be applied substantially surrounding an entire die. Ofcourse many other configurations are possible, though it is desirablethat the die not be fully surrounded with an epoxy gasket as this willprevent air or other gas from escaping when the two wafers are pressedtogether during a full or partial epoxy cure. And, of course, it ispreferable, for higher manufacturing throughput, to use a common epoxyapplication method throughout the entire wafer (the different types ofapplications in FIG. 9B are for illustrations purposes only). Also, theareas in which epoxy is applied can first have a sacrificial materialdeposited in that area (preferably in an area larger than the bead orband of epoxy due to expansion of the epoxy under compression). Thesacrificial material could also be applied to the entire wafer except inareas having microstructures thereon. Also, a conductive epoxy (or otheradhesive) could be used in order to make electrical contact between thewafer having circuitry and electrodes and the wafer having MEMS thereon.

In FIG. 9C, the sealing wafer 25 and the lower substrate wafer 5 withmicrostructures (and optionally circuitry) are brought into contact witheach other. The final gap between the two wafers can be any size thatallows the two wafers to be held together and singulated uniformly.Because gasket beads will expand upon application of pressure (thustaking up valuable real estate on a wafer with densely positioned dieareas), it is preferable that the gap size be larger than 1 um, andpreferably greater than 10 um. The gap size can be regulated byproviding microfabricated spacers or spacers mixed in with the epoxy(e.g. 25 um spacers). However, spacers may not be necessary dependingupon the type of microstructure and the amount of pressure applied.

FIG. 9D shows the first wafer 5 and sealing wafer 25 bonded together.Horizontal and vertical score or partial saw lines 21 a and 21 b areprovided on both the sealing wafer 25 and the first (lower) wafer 5(lines not shown on wafer 5). Preferably the score lines on the twowafers are offset slightly from each other at least in one of the(horizontal or vertical). This offset scoring or partial sawing allowsfor ledges on each die when the wafer is completely singulated intoindividual dies (see FIG. 9E). Electrical connections 4 on ledge 6 ondie 3 c allow for electrical testing of the die prior to removal of thesealing wafer portion. Should the die fail the electrical testing of themicrostructures, the sealing wafer need not be removed and the entiredie can be discarded.

Referring again to FIG. 5, a top perspective view of a portion of abonded wafer assembly die 10 is illustrated. Of course, the mirrorshapes illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 are exemplary, as many other mirrorstructures are possible, such as set forth in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/732,445 to Ilkov et al. filed Dec. 7, 2000, incorporatedherein by reference. For clarity, only four pixel cells 54, 54 a, 54 band 54 c in a two by two grid configuration are shown in FIG. 5. Thepixel cells 54, 54 a, 54 b and 54 c have a pixel pitch of, for example,12 microns. “Pixel pitch” is defined as the distance between likeportions of neighboring pixel cells.

Reflective deflectable elements (e.g., mirrors 48, 48 a, 48 b and 48 c),each corresponding to a respective pixel cell 54, 54 a, 54 b and 54 c,are attached to the lower surface 14 of the optically transmissivesubstrate 52 in an undeflected position. Thus, mirrors 48, 48 a, 48 band 48 c are visible through optically transmissive substrate 52 in FIG.5. For clarity, light blocking aperture layers 56 if present, betweenthe mirrors 48, 48 a, 48 b or 48 c and the optically transmissivesubstrate 52, are represented only by dashed lines so as to showunderlying hinges 50, 50 a, 50 b and 50 c. The distance separatingneighboring mirrors may be, for example, 0.5 microns or less.

The optically transmissive substrate 52 is made of materials which canwithstand subsequent processing temperatures. The optically transmissivesubstrate 52 may be, for example, a 4 inch quartz wafer 500 micronsthick. Such quartz wafers are widely available from, for example, HoyaCorporation U.S.A at 960 Rincon Circle, San Jose, Calif. 95131. Or, thesubstrate can be glass such as Corning 1737 or Corning Eagle2000 orother suitable optically transmissive substrate. In a preferredembodiment, the substrate is transmissive to visible light, and can bedisplay grade glass.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, the light transmissive substrate 52 is bondedto e.g. a MOS-type substrate 62 in spaced apart relation due to spacers44. A plurality of electrodes 63 are disposed adjacent a plurality ofmicromirrors 64 (mirrors simplified and only 9 illustrated forconvenience) for electrostatically deflecting the micromirrors. Anincoming light beam 65 a will be reflected by a non-deflected mirror atthe same angle as it is incident, but will be deflected “vertically” asoutgoing light beam 65 b when the mirror is deflected. An array ofthousands or millions of mirrors selectively moving and deflecting light“vertically” toward projection optics, along with a color sequencer(wheel or prism) that directs sequential beams of different colors ontothe mirrors, results in a color image projected on a target (e.g. forprojection television, boardroom projectors, etc.).

The method for forming micromirrors as set forth above is but oneexample of many methods for forming many different MEMS devices (whetherwith or without an electrical component), in accordance with the presentinvention. Though the electrical component of the final MEMS device isformed on a separate wafer than the micromirrors in the above example,it is also possible to form the circuitry and micromechanical structuresmonolithically on the same substrate. The method for forming the MEMSstructures could be similar to that described in FIGS. 1-4 if themicrostructures are micromirrors (with the difference being that themirrors are formed on the substrate after forming circuitry andelectrodes). Or, other methods for forming circuitry and micromirrorsmonolithically on the same substrate as known in the art could be used.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show two wafers that will be joined together and thensingulated. FIG. 10A is a top view of a light transmissive cover wafer(having a mask area, getter area, lubricant area and compression metalbonding area) whereas FIG. 10B is an illustration of such amonolithically formed mirror array (e.g. for a spatial light modulator)on a bottom semiconductor wafer (along with a metal area for compressionbonding). Referring first to FIG. 10B, a plurality of mirror arrays 71 ato 71 e are formed on a “bottom” wafer 70 (e.g. a silicon wafer). Afterthe mirrors are released, a metal for compression bonding is applied(areas 73 a to 73 e) around each mirror array. Of course more arrayscould be formed on the wafer (as shown in FIG. 8). On a “top” wafer 80(e.g. glass or quartz—preferably display grade glass) are formed masks81 a-e which will block visible light around a perimeter area of eachdie from reaching the mirror arrays after the two wafers are bonded andsingulated. Also illustrated in FIG. 10A are areas of lubricant 83 a-e,areas of getter material 85 a-e, and areas of metal for compressionbonding 87 a-e. If the wafer of FIG. 10B has been treated with a selfassembled monolayer or other lubricant, then the addition of a lubricanton the wafer of FIG. 10A may be omitted if desired (although multipleapplications of lubricants can be provided). The lubricant applied tothe wafer as a gasket, band or drop on the wafer, can be any suitablelubricant, such as the various liquid or solid organic (or hybridorganic-inorganic materials) set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,694,7405,512,374, 6,024,801, and 5,939,785, each of these being incorporatedherein by reference. In one embodiment, a trichlorosilane SAM is appliedto the entire wafer or large portions of the wafer at least covering themicromechanical elements, and a silicone is applied to the lubricantareas 83 a-e. The metal for compression bonding could be any suitablemetal for this purpose such as gold or indium. (Alternatively, if anadhesive is used, the adhesive could be any suitable adhesive, such asan epoxy or silicone adhesive, and preferably an adhesive with lowoutgassing). Of course any combination of these elements could bepresent (or none at all if the bonding method is other than an adhesivebonding method). Preferably one or more of the mask, lubricant, getterand bonding material are present on the “top” wafer 80 prior to bonding.Also, the lubricant, getter and bonding material could be applied toonly the top or bottom wafer or both wafers. In an alternate embodiment,it may be desirable to apply the lubricant and getter to the bottomwafer around the circuitry and electrodes, with bonding material on bothwafers. Of course, depending upon the MEMS application, the mask (or thelubricant or getter) may be omitted (e.g. for non-display applications).Also, the bands of lubricant, getter and bonding material need not fullyencircle the “die area” on the wafer, but could be applied in strips ofdots as illustrated in FIG. 9B. If the bonding material does not fullyencircle the MEMS die area, then, prior to singulation, it is preferredthat the bonding material “gap” be filled so as to protect the MEMSdevices during singulation (from particulate and/or liquid damagedepending upon the singulation method).

It is also possible to bond multiple substrates (smaller than a singlewafer) to another wafer. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 10C and10D, substrates 101 a-d are substrates transmissive to visible light andhave thereon masks 81 a-d as well as areas of lubricant 83 a-d, areas ofgetter material 85 a-d, and areas of bonding material 87 a-d (e.g. goldor indium for metal compression bonding. The mask areas are preferably“picture frame” shaped rectangular areas that block the transmission ofvisible light. This arrangement is desirable for selectively blockinglight incident on micromirror arrays formed on the wafer. After bondingthe multiple substrates with mask areas to the wafer, the wafer issingulated into wafer assembly portions, followed by packaging such asin FIG. 12.

The MEMS wafers could be made of any suitable material, depending uponthe final application for the devices, including silicon, glass, quartz,alumina, GaAs, etc. Silicon wafers can typically be processed to includecircuitry. For an optical MEMS application (e.g. micromirrors foroptical switching or for displays), the “top” wafer of FIG. 10A ispreferably transparent, as mentioned above. The mask illustrated in FIG.10A, can be an absorptive or reflective mask, such as one made from TiN,AlN, or other oxide or nitride compound, or polymers or other suitablematerials having sufficient light blocking capabilities. This “top”wafer could also incorporate other optical elements, such as lenses, UVor other types of filters or antireflection and/or antiscratch coatings.

Then, the two wafers are aligned, bonded, cured (e.g. with UV light orheat depending upon the type of adhesive used) and singulated as setforth above. FIG. 11A is a cross section taken along line 11-11 in FIG.10A (after alignment with bottom wafer 70 in FIG. 10B), whereas FIG. 10Bis the same cross section after bonding (but before singulation). FIG.12 is an illustration of a packaged wafer assembly portion aftersingulation of the bonded wafers. As can be seen in FIG. 12, a lowersubstrate 94 is bonded to the upper substrate 93, with the lowersubstrate held on a lower packaging substrate 90. Metal areas 96 onlower wafer portion 94 will be electrically connected to metal areas 97on the package substrate 90. As can be seen in this figure, unlike otherMEMS packaging configurations, there is no need to further encapsulateor package the wafer assembly die formed of substrates 93 and 94, as theMEMS elements are already protected within the wafer assembly. Thispackaging can be desirable for a monolithic MEMS device where both thecircuitry and MEMS elements are on the same substrate, as well as wherethe MEMS elements are formed on a substrate different from thecircuitry.

There are many alternatives to the method of the present invention. Inorder to bond the two wafers, epoxy can be applied to the one or both ofthe upper and lower wafers. In a preferred embodiment, epoxy is appliedto both the circumference of the wafer and completely or substantiallysurrounding each die/array on the wafer. Spacers can be mixed in theepoxy so as to cause a predetermined amount of separation between thewafers after bonding. Such spacers hold together the upper and lowerwafers in spaced-apart relation to each other. The spacers act to holdthe upper and lower wafers together and at the same time create a spacein which the movable mirror elements can move. Alternatively, the spacerlayer could comprise walls or protrusions that are micro-fabricated. Or,one or more wafers could be bonded between the upper and lower wafersand have portions removed (e.g. by etching) in areas corresponding toeach mirror array (thereby providing space for deflection of the movableelements in the array). The portions removed in such intermediate waferscould be removed prior to alignment and bonding between the upper andlower wafers, or, the wafer(s) could be etched once bonded to either theupper or lower wafer. If the spacers are micro-fabricated spacers, theycan be formed on the lower wafer, followed by the dispensing of anepoxy, polymer, or other adhesive (e.g. a multi-part epoxy, or a heat orUV-cured adhesive) adjacent to the micro-fabricated spacers. Theadhesive and spacers need not be co-located, but could be deposited indifferent areas on the lower substrate wafer. Alternative to glue, acompression bond material could be used that would allow for adhesion ofthe upper and lower wafers. Spacers micro-fabricated on the lower wafer(or the upper wafer) and could be made of polyimide, SU-8 photo-resist.

Instead of microfabrication, the spacers could be balls or rods of apredetermined size that are within the adhesive when the adhesive isplaced on the lower wafer. Spacers provided within the adhesive can bemade of glass or plastic, or even metal so long as the spacers do notinterfere with the electrostatic actuation of the movable element in theupper wafer. Regardless of the type of spacer and method for making andadhering the spacers to the wafers, the spacers are preferably from 1 to250 microns, the size in large part depending upon the size of themovable mirror elements and the desired angle of deflection. Whether themirror arrays are for a projection display device or for opticalswitching, the spacer size in the direction orthogonal to the plane ofthe upper and lower wafers is more preferably from 1 to 100 microns,with some applications benefiting from a size in the range of from 1 to20 microns, or even less than 10 microns.

Regardless of whether the microstructures and circuitry are formed onthe same wafer or on different wafers, when the microstructures arereleased by removal of the sacrificial layer, a sticking force reducingagent can be applied to the microstructures (micromirrors, microrelays,etc) on the wafer to reduce adhesion forces upon contact of themicrostructures with another layer or structure on the same or opposingsubstrate. Though such adhesion reducing agents are known, in thepresent invention the agent is preferably applied to the wafer beforewafer bonding (or after wafer bonding but before singulation), ratherthan to the singulated die or package for the die. Various adhesionreducing agents, including various trichlorosilanes, and other silanesand siloxanes as known in the art for reducing stiction for microelectromechanical devices, as mentioned elsewhere herein.

Also, a getter or molecular scavenger can be applied to the wafer priorto wafer bonding as mentioned above. The getter can be a moisture,hydrogen, particle or other getter. The getter(s) is applied to thewafer around the released MEMS structures (or around, along or adjacentan array of such structures, e.g. in the case of a micromirror array),of course preferably not being in contact with the released structures.If a moisture getter is used, a metal oxide or zeolite can be thematerial utilized for absorbing and binding water (e.g. StayDry SD800,StayDry SD1000, StayDry HiCap2000—each from Cookson Electronics). Or, acombination getter could be used, such as a moisture and particle getter(StayDry GA2000-2) or a hydrogen and moisture getter (StayDry H2-3000).The getter can be applied to either wafer, and if adhesive bonding isthe bonding method, the getter can be applied adjacent the epoxy beadsor strips, preferably between the epoxy and the microstructures, and canbe applied before or after application of the adhesive (preferablybefore any adhesive is applied to the wafer(s).

As can be seen from the above, the method of the present inventioncomprises making a MEMS device, e.g. a spatial light modulator, byproviding a first wafer, providing a second wafer, forming circuitry anda plurality of electrodes on the first wafer, forming a plurality ofdeflectable elements on or in either the first or second wafer, aligningthe first and second wafers, bonding the first and second waferstogether to form a wafer assembly, separating the wafer assembly intoindividual dies, and packaging the individual dies. Each die cancomprise an array of deflectable reflective elements. The reflectiveelements correspond to pixels in a direct-view or projection display.The number of reflective elements in each die is from 6,000 to about 6million, depending upon the resolution of the display.

In the method of the invention, the first wafer is preferably glass,borosilicate, tempered glass, quartz or sapphire, or can be a lighttransmissive wafer of another material. The second wafer can be adielectric or semiconductor wafer, e.g. GaAs or silicon. As noted above,the first and second wafers are bonded together with an adhesive(thought metal or anodic bonding are also possible, depending upon theMEMS structure and the type of micromachining.

The releasing can be performed by providing any suitable etchant,including an etchant selected from an interhalogen, a noble gasfluoride, a vapor phase acid, or a gas solvent. And, the releasing ispreferably followed by a stiction treatment (e.g. a silane, such as achlorosilane). Also, a getter can be applied to the wafer before orafter the adhesion reducing agent is applied, and before or after anadhesive is applied (if an adhesive bonding method is chosen).Preferably the time from releasing to bonding is less than 12 hours, andpreferably less than 6 hours.

As can be seen from the above, when the wafer singulation takes place,each die defining a mirror array (or other MEMS device) is alreadypackaged and sealed from possible contamination, physical damage, etc.In the prior art, when the wafer is divided up into individual dies, themirrors are still exposed and remain exposed while sent to packaging tofinally be enclosed and protected (e.g. under a glass panel). By forminga plurality of mirror arrays directly on a glass wafer, bonding(preferably with epoxy and spacers) the glass wafer to an additionalwafer comprising actuation circuitry, and only then cutting the waferinto individual dies/arrays, much greater protection of mirror elementsis achieved.

The invention need not be limited to a direct-view or projectiondisplay. The invention is applicable to many different types of MEMSdevices, including pressure and acceleration sensors, MEMS switches orother MEMS devices formed and released on a wafer. The invention alsoneed not be limited to forming the releasable MEMS elements on one waferand circuitry on another wafer. If both MEMS and circuitry are formedmonolithically on the same wafer, a second wafer (glass, silicon orother material) can be attached at the wafer lever following release ofthe MEMS devices but prior to dividing the wafers into individual dies.This can be particularly useful if the MEMS devices are micromirrors,due to the fragility of such elements.

Though the invention is directed to any MEMS device, specific mirrorsand methods for projection displays or optical switching could be usedwith the present invention, such as those mirrors and methods set forthin U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,256 to Huibers issued Nov. 10, 1998; U.S. Pat.No. 6,046,840 to Huibers issued Apr. 4, 2000; U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/767,632 to True et al. filed Jan. 22, 2001; Ser. No.09/564,069 to Richards filed May 3, 2000; Ser. No. 09/617,149 to Huiberset al. filed Jul. 17, 2000; Ser. No. 09/631,536 to Huibers et al. filedAug. 3, 2000; Ser. No. 09/626,780 to Huibers filed Jul. 27, 2000;60/293,092 to Patel et al. filed May 22, 2001; Ser. No. 09/637,479 toHuibers et al. filed Aug. 11, 2000; and 60/231,041 to Huibers filed Sep.8, 2000. If the MEMS device is a mirror, the particular mirror shapesdisclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/732,445 to Ilkov et al.filed Dec. 7, 2000 could be used. Also, the MEMS device need not be amicromirror, but could instead be any MEMS device, including thosedisclosed in the above applications and in application 60/240,552 toHuibers filed Dec. 13, 2000. In addition, the sacrificial materials, andmethods for removing them, could be those disclosed in U.S. patentapplication 60/298,529 to Reid et al. filed Jun. 15, 2001. Lastly,assembly and packaging of the MEMS device could be such as disclosed inU.S. patent application 60/276,222 filed Mar. 15, 2001. Each of thesepatents and applications is incorporated herein by reference.

The invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments.Nevertheless, persons familiar with the field will appreciate that manyvariations exist in light of the embodiments described herein.

1. A method for making a plurality of spatial light modulators, themethod comprising: providing a transparent wafer and a semiconductorwafer; forming a plurality of micromirrors on the semiconductor waferwithin each of a plurality of rectangular active areas, wherein theplurality of micromirrors within each rectangular active area form amicromirror array on the semiconductor wafer, and wherein themicromirrors have mirror edges that are neither parallel norperpendicular to edges of the rectangular active area; bonding thetransparent wafer and semiconductor wafer together with a spacer layertherebetween, wherein the spacer layer encircles each rectangular activearea individually, so as to form a gap between the wafers in which themicromirrors of each respective rectangular active area are disposed;wherein the bonding is performed by an application of an adhesive, anapplication of pressure to press the transparent wafer and semiconductorwafer together, and a step of curing the adhesive so as to form a waferassembly; and singulating the wafer assembly into individual spatiallight modulators.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein a group of themirror edges of the mirrors is neither parallel nor perpendicular to theedges of the rectangular active area, and another group of the mirroredges is parallel to two of the rectangular active area edges.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the mirror edges are approximately 45 degreesrelative to the rectangular active area edges.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein no mirror edges are parallel or perpendicular to the edges ofthe rectangular active area.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein eachmirror has a switching axis that is at a non-parallel andnon-perpendicular angle to at least one edge of the mirror.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein each mirror has a switching axis parallel toat least one edge of the rectangular active area.
 7. The method of claim5, wherein each mirror has a switching axis at an angle of from 40 to 55degrees to one or more edges of each mirror.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein each mirror has a front edge that is non-perpendicular to anyedge of the rectangular active area.
 9. The method of claim 1, whereineach mirror is a square mirror having four edges defining the squaremirror, wherein the four edges of each mirror are neither parallel norperpendicular to any edges of the rectangular active area.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein addressing rows connect to every othermirror.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein addressing columns connect toevery other mirror.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein hinges aredisposed below each mirror and are held on support posts.
 13. The methodof claim 5, wherein the mirrors comprise hinges that extend parallel tothe leading and trailing edges of the rectangular active area.
 14. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the mirrors have jagged edges.
 15. The methodof claim 1, wherein the mirrors have square mirror plates that have noedges parallel or perpendicular to the edges of the rectangular activearea, and wherein the gap comprises a getter and a lubricant.
 16. Themethod of claim 9, further comprising providing a getter for eachmicromirror array before bonding the transparent wafer to thesemiconductor wafer.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprisingproviding a light blocking mask on the transparent wafer.
 18. The methodof claim 17, wherein when the wafer assembly is singulated intoindividual spatial light modulators, a light blocking mask is disposedon a transparent substrate within each spatial light modulator.
 19. Themethod of claim 18, wherein the light blocking mask is formed as arectangular frame around each micromirror array in each spatial lightmodulator after singulation.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein astiction reducing agent is provided after wafer bonding.
 21. The methodof claim 20, wherein each spatial light modulator comprises a getter,stiction reducing agent and light blocking mask.
 22. The method of claim21, wherein singulation is performed such that an edge of thetransparent substrate in each spatial light modulator is offset from anedge of the semiconductor substrate in each spatial light modulator. 23.The method of claim 22, wherein the transparent wafer is glass.
 24. Themethod of claim 23, wherein the semiconductor wafer is silicon.
 25. Themethod of claim 24, further comprising a packaging substrate, whereinthe silicon substrate of each spatial light modulator is disposed on acorresponding packaging substrate.
 26. The method of claim 25, whereinthe offset edges of the glass and silicon substrates in each spatiallight modulator results in an exposed area on the silicon substrate fortesting.
 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the exposed area furthercomprises bond wires bonded thereto.
 28. The method of claim 27, whereinthe spacer layer comprises one or more intermediate wafers with openareas bonded between the transparent wafer and the semiconductor wafer.29. The method of claim 28, wherein the semiconductor substrate and thetransparent substrate are aligned and pressed in a press.
 30. The methodof claim 29, wherein the adhesive is an epoxy.
 31. The method of claim30, wherein the epoxy is a UV cure epoxy.
 32. The method of claim 30,wherein the number of micromirrors in each micromirror array is from6,000 to about 6 million.
 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the waferassembly is singulated into individual spatial light modulators byscribing and breaking.
 34. The method of claim 32, wherein thesingulation of the wafer assembly into individual spatial lightmodulators comprises sawing.
 35. The method of claim 32, wherein thesingulation of the wafer assembly comprises sawing partially througheach wafer followed by breaking along the sawed lines.
 36. The method ofclaim 35, wherein the sawing is done in the presence of a high-pressurejet of water.
 37. The method of claim 32, wherein the transparent waferand semiconductor wafer are bonded together with the gap therebetweenbeing from 1 to 250 microns.
 38. The method of claim 32, wherein thegetter is a moisture getter.
 39. The method of claim 32, wherein thegetter is a particle getter.
 40. The method of claim 32, wherein thegetter is a combination getter.